Where does “brit” come from?

brit (English) comes from Middle English brytten, from Old English brittian, from Proto-Germanic brutjaną, from Proto-Germanic breutaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰrewd- — to break.

brit (English): To break in pieces; divide; To bruise; indent; To...

Definitions

  1. To break in pieces; divide; To bruise; indent; To...

Ancestry of “brit”, step by step

brit traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English brytten

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbrytten—
2Old Englishbrittian—
3Proto-Germanicbrutjanąto break, divide
4Proto-Germanicbreutanąto destroy, crush, break
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrewd-to break

via Middle English brutten

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbrutten—
2Old Englishbryttianto divide, dispense, distribute, rule over,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰrewd- →Every word from Proto-Germanic breutaną →Every word from Proto-Germanic brutjaną →